Twayne Neal Obituary (1957 - 2017)

Obituary for Twayne J Neal Twayne J. Neal passed away on February 26, 2017. He was born on October 7, 1957 in Pocatello, Idaho under the Shoshone-Bannock tribe. He was adopted as a baby by Gerald and Melba Neal in Stevensville, Montana where he grew up. He lived on the family 16,000 acre farm and probably explored every inch of it. His favorite things to do were motorcycling, horseback riding, basketball, wrestling, and hanging with his friends. He graduated from Stevensville High School in 1976. He was very athletic and was on the football, basketball and wrestling teams for the Stevensville Yellow Jackets. Twayne moved to Utah after graduation to attend BYU for a year. He then went on a mission to Italy for two years learning to love the Italian language and people. When he returned he attended Utah Technical College to become a draftsman on AutoCad. He was building a career in designing electrical and structural blueprints for companies like US West building that was later called the Mountain Bell Telephone Company. He even had his own business cards and he called himself “The AutoCad Man”. During this time when he was about thirty years old he was struck in an auto/pedestrian accident that damaged his brain. He then began to suffer from epileptic seizures and had to learn to walk and talk again, which was a very long and painful process. His life completely changed and so did his perspective of life. Twayne has always been a good man with no bad in his being. No longer did material things matter to him. He learned to appreciate every day of his life and live it like it might be his last. Other people meant more to him than himself. He would spend hours talking to everyone he met and it was said that you knew when Twayne was present – his smile came first then the big teddy bear. He lived a hard life but went from homeless on the street to living in an apartment. His life’s worries were only to eat, take care of his health, and take his medications for his epilepsy. He was grateful for the less he had and didn’t even mind. The most important thing he found was a job seven years ago at Liberty Tax being the best sign waiver he could be. He won awards five years in a row for the best waiver. He loved his job and looked forward to waiving in all kinds of weather. He felt like Greg Moser was family along with he had to show those young waivers how it should really be done. He always thought they never put enough into their waiving and said “100% is not enough”. At least he doesn’t have to pay any more taxes now. You never know how much a person is missed until they are gone. So many people have come up and expressed their condolences with all their stories as well. It was and is amazing how much one person can impact so many lives. He was sincerely caring about all the people he talked to and associated with. He worried about others more than himself. Even at his job at Liberty Tax, it was all about bringing in the customers for his boss because he truly loved it. Twayne said he was truly happy with each day he was given. He knew how he would leave this world and lived life to its fullest. He still did it all on his terms as he always did. Twayne was more worried about getting the apartment ready for the next occupant, that his boss could benefit from his death with advertisement, and that his brother Sherman and his many friends would remember him. People thought he was a bit quirky but it was just Twayne. No other explanation – it is just Twayne. He is preceded in death by his father, Gerald Neal in 1998 and his mother, Melba Neal in 2003. He leaves behind a brother, Sherman J Neal; niece Shianne Neal; also have two adopted sisters who he lost contact with – Pam and Kay. He had a larger family than anybody realized – not all families are born together, families are made. As Twayne used to say “the important thing is La Familia”. A Celebration of Life will be held to remember him March 3, 2017 from 11am to 1pm at the church located at 1289 East 300 South in Provo.